Small Bowel Bleeding

The small bowel (or small intestine) is the longest portion of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is called “small” because it is thin or narrow compared with the “large” bowel (also known as the colon), but it is much longer than the large bowel (14 feet on average). The small intestine is involved in nutrient absorption from food. The causes of bleeding in the small bowel are different from those in the colon or the stomach. The most common causes of bleeding from the colon are polyps, diverticulosis (small out-pouchings in the wall of the colon), or cancer. Upper GI (esophagus, stomach, or duodenum) bleeding is most often due to ulcers.